Comp J: Globalisation
and International Trade (Carried)
(Motions 87,88 and 89) A
comprehensive motion outlining the inequality
and poverty around the world caused by
the benefits of trade not being distributed
fairly, using the coffee trade as an example.
Calls for UK to take a lead in tackling
the crisis and individuals to use their
power as consumers to go for Fair Trade
products. Campaign to get WTO to collaborate
with ILO, assess the impact of GATS, campaign
on human rights issues and name and shame
transnational corporations who breach
ILO regulations - and much more.
65. Combatting Racism
on Local Communities (Carried)
Conference believes local
authorities have a major role in addressing
the social deprivation that allows the
BNP to incite racial hatred. Congratulates
the work being done in the North West
of England via the TUC and proving funding
for the Coalition against racism to oppose
the BNP in Oldham. Encouraged branches
to get involved in local campaigns etc.
Amendments calling for affiliation to
the Anti Nazi league were withdrawn (looking
for the main debate on 6).
Branch supported
66. Stop the Nazis (Carried
as amended)
A serious national campaign
to prevent the BNP having electoral successes
but the main issue was affiliation to
the Anti Nazi League. The debate was whether
this organisation meets UNISON's tests
of democracy and transparency - and specifically
here, whether there are measures to ensure
black leadership involvement. The Anti-
Nazi League has not met these tests, it
has not provided audited accounts and
does not have systems for black leadership.
Black Members Group speakers made that
loud and clear and Conference backed amendment
to delete the affiliation issue.
Branch supported the
amendments and the amended motion - branch
mandate.
48: Age Discrimination
and Citizenship (Carried)
Young members motion called
for; Lowering voting age to 16; Campaign
around European Directive that outlaws
discrimination on age by 2006; Campaign
against other discrimination like the
minimum wage rules, jobseekers allowance
and Housing and Council Tax Benefits assessment.
Branch supported
42: United Campaign for
the Repeal of Anti-Trade Union Laws (Carried)
Conference agreed to affiliate
to the campaign and build 'massive campaign'
for a Workers' Charter. Support Institute
of Employment Rights and TUC in their
campaigns.
Branch supported
8: Dignity and Respect
at Work (Carried)
The campaign for quality
public services delivered by directly
employed public sector staff will be enhanced
by promoting dignity and respect and equity
at work for public sector employees. This,
the tackling of discrimination and attacks
on staff, to be at the forefront of the
Positively Public campaign - along with
confronting the two-tier workforce.
Branch supported
Comp F: Asylum Seekers
(Carried)
Campaign on defence and
extension of the 1951 Geneva Convention
on the rights of asylum seekers; cash
benefits at income support level, and
the right to work; closure of detention
centres; end forced dispersal; end harassment.
Support for National Assembly Against
Racism's 'Speak Out Against Racism' campaign
and Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers.
Branch supported
39: Ill Health Retirement
Qualifications (Carried)
Members who need ill-health
retirement are losing out because of over-strict
rules for medical advisers. Now UNISON
is to lobby MPs for changes to "allow
genuinely ill members to get ill-health
retirement", said Scottish Region delegate
Mary Crichton. Allayed fears from Disabled
members that not looking for wholesale
ill-health retirements but was merely
trying to address the inflexible guideline
that a member would never be able to work
again before their 65th birthday.
Branch supported
* 38: Discrimination
in Pension Schemes (Carried as amended
by 38.3 - BRANCH MOTION)
Conference overwhelmingly
backed a campaign to combat the Government's
refusal to back full equality in pension
schemes for non-married and same sex partners.
Moving motion, John Stevenson welcomed
Leicestershire's amendment adding the
'same sex' clarification.
"Last year the Government
consulted all public service pension schemes
on the effect if discrimination was removed.
The vast majority of returns said there
would be little or no impact and trustees
overwhelmingly backed the call for change.
We expected the statutory amendments but
nothing has happened", said John.
"UNISON was in the forefront
of the campaign to give everyone equal
rights on pensions issues. We lobbied,
we pushed our sponsored MPs to campaign
and we were winning.
"The hard work has been
done but we must push on", he said calling
for positive action by the National Executive
and intervention by the Affiliated Political
Fund.
34: Housing Privatisation
(Carried)
Congratulated UNISON members
and tenants for 'no' votes in ballots
and the bear miss in Glasgow. Build on
the campaign jointly with tenants and
other unions. NEC amendment noted lessons
had been learned for future campaigns
and that current campaign had included
guidance for branches facing stock transfers
and on arms length companies; training
programme, publicity materials, housing
seminar, research and £100,000 worth
of General Political Fund campaigns.
Branch supported motion
and amendment
Comp K: Stop the War
(Carried as amended by K.1)
Conference backed a call
to explain our position to members against
military action following September 11
and to join in with Stop the War demonstrations.
It also called for support for members
experiencing increased racism because
of the war. But it overwhelmingly rejected
local action by branches to mount protests
'immediately on hearing news of Iraq being
attacked by the USA and Britain'.
The National Executive was
supporting 'with qualifications' partly
because it was uncertain about whether
the Stop the War Coalition was a broad
enough coalition; Did it have democratic
and transparent structures?
It was a concern shared
by our branch and John Stevenson was the
sole speaker against the amendment. He
said, "Our principles of democracy and
transparency must guide our final decision
on any affiliation. It is not unreasonable
for us to want to be sure of any organisation's
bona fides before we lend our name to
it".
"We need co-ordination and
this amendment risks fragmentation. It
creates a role for branches in leading
a public and political campaign which
risks opening the door to all sorts of
constitutional or legal issues. That can
only divert from the main issue", he said.
John had started by outlining
our branch's credentials in the anti-war
campaign. A bulletin issued only a few
days after September 11 reported on the
"pain of our American trade union colleagues
as victims and as rescuers and carers".
But it also called for restraint and opposed
racist backlashes.
The branch had set Scottish
policy against a war on Iraq and had backed
a Scottish Stop the War event. However
John stressed that the Scottish coalition
was very more broad-based than the English
one, was CND led and included churches
and other organisations. He urged the
NEC to look at other initiatives like
the newly set up "No War in Iraq Liaison
Group" which will have CND in it - if
that met UNISON's tests.
* 127: Counselling Service
for lay members (Carried - RESULT OF BRANCH
MOTION 2001)
As the motion itself said,
this resulted entirely from Edinburgh's
motion to last year's Conference, raising
the issue of stress faced by activists.
The NEC is to set up
